Caracas, February 25 (RHC) –- Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles has once again refused to take part in a dialogue to resolve recent political unrest.

Capriles, who also serves as Miranda state governor, said on Monday he rejected the direct invitation of President Nicolas Maduro to attend the Federal Council of Government in Caracas in protest against the alleged government "repression" of opposition demonstrators.

Capriles did not say whether he would also sit out a national peace conference called by the president for Wednesday, to discuss a way out of the turmoil that has engulfed the country in recent weeks.

A report by multinational news channel teleSUR said Capriles wants to blame the government for the violent atmosphere that prevails in several Venezuelan cities, ignoring the fact that it is he, himself, and several of his supporters, like Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado, who called for civil disobedience and the overthrowing of the constitutional government.

On Tuesday, violent protests had died down, though the streets remained tense. Rioters erected barricades to block traffic on major streets in Caracas and other cities, but there were no major scuffles, according to local reports.

Venezuela has been beset with social turmoil since February 12th and the violence in Caracas have left at least nine people dead and 137 others injured.

Despite the government's reiterated calls for peace and conciliation, hardline opposition sectors in Venezuela, supported by the United States, continue to promote actions to take the country down the path of civil war.